The Bottom Line
Peter O'Toole earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of an elderly man who becomes infatuated with a much younger woman in Venus, directed by Roger Michell. O'Toole turns in yet another fine performance in the touching tale as does Jodie Whittaker and the rest of the fine acting ensemble.
Pros
- Brilliant performance by Peter O'Toole
- The supporting ensemble is top notch
Cons
- Not quite as emotionally gripping as you'd expect from the subject matter
Description
- Commentary track by director Roger Michell and producer Kevin Loader
- Deleted scenes
- "Venus, A Real Work of Art" - Behind-the-scenes look at the making of Venus
- DVD Release Date: May 22, 2007
Guide Review - Venus DVD Review
O'Toole stars as an aging actor named Maurice who spends his days talking shop - and the disadvantages of old age - with his closest friend, Ian (Leslie Phillips). When Ian agrees to let his grand-niece stay with him to help him out, Maurice finds himself strangely drawn to the crude young woman almost in spite of himself.
Ian quickly writes off Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) as hopeless, but Maurice detects something special about her. Maurice takes her under his wig and teaches her about the arts. While Maurice is imparting knowledge on Jessie, she's also surprisingly teaching him a thing or two about life.
The Bonus Features
Director Roger Michell and producer Kevin Loader offer insight into the making of Venus in a commentary track that's dry yet informative. Also included on the Venus DVD is a Making Of featurette worth checking out. Listening to legendary actor O'Toole talk about the film is worth the price of the DVD.
